Last Dance
by NaugrimMellon
Summary: Caroline visits New Orleans, only to find that things don't go exactly as planned. (a Klaroline fic requested by a friend)
1. Chapter 1 - Dinner

Klaus paced up and down, and then looked at the note again. He hated to get worked up over nothing, but this absolutely had the potential to be _something_. He'd already read the note a hundred times. He had practically memorized it.

_Klaus_

_Meet me at Coquette tonight at 8:30_

_ -C_

Of course, there was the possibility that it was a trap of some kind. The witches were relentless in their hatred of him, so he wouldn't really be surprised. There was also the possibility that it was Camille, though it didn't match her handwriting. And there was also the slightest possibility that it was _her._

Klaus dressed in his finest suit (just to be safe), and checked himself in the mirror. He made sure that his hair was perfect, and straightened his bowtie. Even if he was walking into a trap he may as well look fabulous doing it.

He was far too impatient to wait any longer so he left early for the restaurant. It wasn't far. He glanced around the area but didn't see any suspicious activity. He went inside to look around and immediately felt an icy chill go through him. Sitting at one of the tables was a woman with familiar blonde curls. Her eyes lit up when she saw him and she waved him over excitedly. He could hardly believe it.

"I see you changed your mind about New Orleans, love," he said, smirking at her as he sat down across from her.

"I haven't decided yet," Caroline explained, "I'm checking out a few schools around here. But if I like it I might stay."

"Such a tease," he mused, never taking his eyes off of her. The waitress came by to get their order. He ordered a scotch for himself and Caroline ordered a strawberry daiquiri, to which he raised his eyebrows.

"So, how's life as the king, or whatever it is you are here?" she asked, ignoring his disapproval of her drink choice.

"Oh, it's perfectly exhausting as always," he replied truthfully. He was momentarily distracted by her red dress, but quickly looked back up at her eyes. The waitress set down their drinks in front of them, and Klaus took a drink of the scotch. He watched amusedly as Caroline sipped her daiquiri.

"You know," he said, "we could always get out of here and find something better to drink."

"No way!" Caroline exclaimed, "This daiquiri is delicious!"

"I wasn't talking about alcohol, love."

"Klaus!" Caroline exclaimed, then dropped her voice to a hushed whisper as she continued, "I don't do that anymore! Blood bags only!"

"Which was exactly my suggestion," he said innocently, "You didn't let me finish."

"I'm sure it was," Caroline said, not convinced.

"Do you have a place to stay while you're here?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I do, actually," she said proudly.

"Well if the accommodations don't suit you, you're more than welcome to stay with me. I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't please me greatly."

"I'm going to stay where I am for now, but thanks for the offer."

Klaus couldn't help but be a bit irritated. He had hoped for a more dramatic reunion between the two of them. In his mind he had always envisioned her running to him while holding up the bottom of a long ball gown and then falling into his arms. She would make a grand confession of her love and pledge herself to him for all eternity and then he would rip her dress off and kiss every inch of her, and they would make passionate love right there in the street, with her screaming his name loud enough to wake everyone in New Orleans.

Of course, that was just a fantasy, he reminded himself. But he couldn't help but feel he had been cheated. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and looked back to Caroline.

"So this is it then?" he asked, "Just drinks at a restaurant?"

"What do mean 'this is it'? I thought you'd be happy to see me!" she said indignantly.

"Oh, I am. I had just hoped that you came back for other reasons than school," he admitted.

"Well I did want to see you too. But what happened in the woods was, like, a one time thing. So don't get any ideas."

"I won't," he lied. He had several.


	2. Chapter 2 - Plans

Caroline looked over her glass at Klaus as she sipped her daiquiri. He had that smugly pleased look on his face that was so irritating. She had promised herself not to get too caught up in Mikaelson family politics during her stay in New Orleans and she planned to hold herself to it. She wanted to make sure that the reason she was there wasn't _just_ to see Klaus, but also for herself. Somehow she got the feeling Klaus wasn't going to make this easy for her.

"So what do you do for fun around here?" she asked, though she was somewhat afraid to hear the answer.

"Oh, you know, parties, plotting, killing witches,"

"Parties?!" she exclaimed, ignoring the rest of his list.

"I thought that might please you; I know how you love parties."

"When's the next one?" she asked, trying to hide her excitement. She couldn't deny that parties were her thing.

"Whenever you want it to be, love," he replied, smirking at her.

"Oh, convenient," she said, stirring her daiquiri, "…How about Saturday?"

"Saturday it is," he said, that smug smile returning to his face. He was doing his best to get to her and darn it, it was working.

"I should probably get going," she told him, hoping that would wipe the smug look off of his face, "I have to be up early tomorrow to tour a school."

He did seem disappointed, and she felt a bit guilty. He had dressed in his best suit just to see her, after all. She did her best to push aside her guilt and remind herself why she came; not just for Klaus, but also for herself. And if things with Klaus happened to work out, then all the better for everyone.

"I certainly hope we'll meet again soon," Klaus said, as they both stood up from the table. He took her hand and kissed it, perhaps a bit longer than necessary, and then they parted ways.

As Caroline walked back to her hotel, she felt a bit disappointed. She hadn't really known what to expect, but in her mind their reunion had always been a bit different. Though, to be fair, most of her daydreams involved Klaus showing up in tight leather pants and a billowing white pirate shirt as if he were on the cover of one of the romance novels she often read, and that he would then rip off the thin fabric of the shirt to reveal his muscular and well oiled chest before launching into a speech about how she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and then he would kiss her in front of everyone in the restaurant and carry her off into the sunset. Then again, they may have been the exact plot of one of the novels she'd read recently.

She was more than a little bit excited for the upcoming party, though she was also a bit nervous. There were certainly a lot of people in New Orleans that she didn't know, and it would be odd for her to be the outcast; she'd always known everyone in Mystic Falls. Though of course she knew Klaus wouldn't let anyone treat her badly; being on his good side did have its perks.

She heard faint footsteps behind her and smiled, shaking her head at Klaus' stubbornness.

"Klaus, I thought I made it clear that I didn't want you to follow me!" She scolded him mockingly.

She turned around to face him and her smile quickly fell from her face. Not Klaus.

"Hello Caroline," said the unfamiliar woman, raising her right hand. Caroline didn't even have time to take any action before a searing pain shot through her head, causing her to fall to the ground crying out in pain. The pain seared hotter until Caroline couldn't take it any more and lost consciousness.

She awoke to darkness, and the smell in the air was damp and musty. She blinked and looked around, trying to remember what had happened. As she moved the throbbing pain in her head brought the memory back to her. She groaned and pulled at the chains that held her to the chair. _Why is it always me?_

She was in a dark cell of some kind, and had clearly been weakened by vervain. She was frightened and quite irritated as well by the turn of events. Of course she couldn't just have a nice visit to New Orleans, of course it had to involve some evil plot by the witches.

"Hey!" she shouted, "Let me out!" She knew it was hopeless but was at least hoping someone would tell her what was going on. She had a suspicion that it had something to do with a certain Mikaelson. If the witches thought that imprisoning her would be a good way to get to Klaus then… well, then they were probably absolutely correct. Caroline struggled against the chains again, but to no avail.

There was something strange about everything though, something that didn't feel quite right. She couldn't quite place it, but something was off. She'd been kidnapped plenty of times, so she would know. _Maybe I just have bad luck_, she thought, but there was definitely something more to the situation.

Then again, maybe it really was as simple as it seemed; use her to lure out Klaus. It made sense, but somehow she doubted it could be that simple. Then again, the witches of New Orleans were notorious for making trouble and doing what they could to get rid of Klaus, so maybe it really was that simple.

Caroline hoped that Klaus wouldn't blindly run into their trap just to save her, but she knew better than to think he'd let her stay imprisoned. She sighed and tugged at her chains again, beginning to grow angry. It was a small thing now, but she realized she would probably miss the school tour, the whole reason why she came to New Orleans in the first place.

"Let me out!" she shouted again, "Is anybody even out there?!"

There was no reply. Caroline sat in the dark cell for hours on end, and still no sound, no sign of anyone. There was definitely something strange about this kidnapping


	3. Chapter 3 - Strange

Caroline awoke to the smell of blood. She opened her eyes to see that she was staring up at the ceiling, and sat up a bit too quickly. Her vision swam before her as she tried to focus her eyes on her surroundings. There were no chains holding her down, and she clearly was no longer in the damp, dark room she had been in before.

"Thirsty?" a voice asked behind her, causing her to leap unsteadily to her feet and whirl around to face her attacker, ready to fight.

"Whoa, take it easy," the man said, holding out a glass filled with dark liquid.

"Who are you and why did you kidnap me?" she demanded.

"Kidnap you? What are talking about, you're the one who showed up here on my doorstep asking me to let you in. You want this blood or not?"

Caroline looked the man up and down. He didn't look like a kidnapper at all; he was well-dressed and, she realized, a vampire.

"Why don't I remember coming here?" she asked, reaching out to take the glass. Clearly she needed it.

"I don't know, you just asked me to let you in and then passed out on my sofa," he replied, returning to the kitchen counter to grab his own glass.

Caroline rubbed her head, trying desperately to remember. She sipped the blood slowly, trying to pinpoint the last thing she remembered about the night before. All she could remember was being in that dark, damp room chained to a chair. There was nothing else.

"Where am I?" she asked, "and who are you? I'll have you know I'm close with the Mikaelsons, so if you try anything, I-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you know the Mikaelsons? Are you sure about that? I'm pretty close with them myself, and I've never seen you around."

"I'm Caroline Forbes and I happen to be a good friend of Klaus," she explained matter-of-factly.

"Carline Forbes, from Mystic Falls? Klaus told me about you."

"He told you about me?" she asked in disbelief, "Who are you?"

"Didn't Klaus ever mention me? I'm Marcel Gerard," he said proudly, flashing a smile at her.

"No, he never mentioned you," Carline replied shaking her head, causing the smile to fall from his face.

"Really? I'm a little insulted, I mean… That's… wow," he said, clutching his hand to his chest.

"So what are you, like, his friend or something?"

"I thought so, I thought I was his right-hand man but I guess he doesn't care enough to mention me," Marcel said in a mocking tone.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, the last time I saw Klaus we didn't really do much talking, so…" she trailed off, wishing she could un-say that. Marcel raised his eyebrows and laughed before changing the subject.

"If you're so close with Klaus, why'd you run off?" he asked, suddenly speaking in a more serious tone. Caroline realized he was worried for her, and was touched for a moment before becoming a bit angry. Who was he to assume she and Klaus had had a fight?

"I'm not trying to pry," he continued, "I'm just saying… I know Klaus. All right, and he's not the kind of person a nice girl like you should be hanging around with. He's dangerous."

Caroline knew she shouldn't feel this way, but she was even angrier. He didn't know anything about her or her relationship to Klaus.

"You think I don't know that? Ok, I've known Klaus for a long time. Yes, he has a temper, and yes he's made mistakes, but he wouldn't hurt me. And you can just drop it, okay, because he has nothing to do with this!"

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to help," he said, "You seem a bit on edge, that's all."

"A bit on edge!?" Caroline exclaimed, unable to keep her cool any longer, "I was kidnapped last night, locked up in some creepy dungeon, and now today I woke up here and I have no memory of getting here or even getting out of the dungeon, so yeah I'm a little on edge!"

Marcel was staring at her as if she'd lost her mind.

"Or something… I don't know," she admitted, sitting down on the sofa with her head in her hands, "I can't remember what happened. It's like there's a hole in my memory… It's almost as if I was compelled or something but that isn't possible unless…"

"Only an original vampire can compel another vampire," Marcel finished quietly.

"Yeah… but he wouldn't, Klaus wouldn't." Caroline said, hoping it was true.

"I wouldn't really put it past him," Marcel admitted, "But there is a way we can find out. I can talk to Rebecca, see if she knows anything."

"If Klaus did this, that changes everything!" Caroline exclaimed, her anger getting the better of her, "I'm not going to let him just play these games, these plots he always has and never tells anyone they're in on! I mean maybe it wasn't him, I hope it wasn't, but… I can't say it would surprise me either," Caroline admitted, frowning.

"Well if you want to irritate Klaus just in case, I have some ideas."

"Like what?" Caroline asked, her eyes lighting up.

"What are your plans for the party on Saturday?" he asked, smirking.


	4. Chapter 4 - Party

The day of the party arrived and Klaus was determined to make sure that everything was perfect. Caroline was an avid party planner herself and Klaus wanted to make absolutely certain she was impressed.

Klaus was wearing his best suit again and the Abattoir was decorated to perfection. He was confident that the party would be magnificent, and hoped that the night could end even half as good as his fantasies.

He had had a dress made especially for Caroline, from the finest materials intimidation could buy. It was a deep royal blue with real diamond accents, and he was confident she would look to die for in it. He had it delivered earlier and was more than a little excited to see Caroline arrive wearing it (and perhaps a bit hopeful to see her _without_ it on later). He couldn't deny that the mere thought sent a shiver down his spine.

He straightened his bowtie and made sure his hair was perfectly styled. _Tonight will be a night to remember_, he thought to himself as he stood on the balcony overlooking the courtyard.

The first guests began to arrive, but Klaus refused to move from his spot on the balcony until Caroline arrived. He smirked to himself as he watched for her, his eyes blazing with excitement.

The moment the next guest arrived, however, the smile fell immediately from his face. He made his way down the stairs, frowning as he approached.

"Oh, hello Klaus," Caroline said charmingly, standing confidently across from him wearing a short lilac dress.

"Hello Caroline," he replied, unable to keep from looking down at the pale purple dress she wore. It was certainly not the one he had sent. It looked generic, like something she could have purchased anywhere.

"Is something wrong, Klaus?" she asked innocently. Her tone made him wonder if she had purposely worn a different dress.

"Nothing at all," Klaus told her, smiling again. He wasn't going to let a different dress get in the way of their evening, "It's just that you look absolutely beautiful. Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, "I actually already have a date."

It wasn't until now that he noticed her arm was linked with Marcel's. He threw a quick murderous glance at Marcel before resting his eyes on Caroline again. His smile fell, and he couldn't help but let his disappointment show.

"I see," was all he could manage to say as Caroline and Marcel walked past him.

"But," Carline leaned in closer as she passed him, "I'll save you the last dance."

Klaus returned to his spot on the balcony and sullenly watched the party going on in the courtyard below. Disappointment was written clearly on his face as he watched Caroline dancing happily with Marcel. He imagined himself walking down there and ripping Marcel's heart out of his chest. The thought brought a brief smile to his face. Certainly Marcel knew that he was playing with fire by keeping Caroline from him. The sight of her in Marcel's arms made his blood boil. 

Klaus was startled out of his thoughts by another presence on the balcony. He turned briefly to see Camille standing next to him, looking concerned.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked irritably, not taking his eyes off of the courtyard. He could see Caroline laughing as Marcel spun her around.

"For someone who pretends not to care you seem to care a lot," she said. Klaus rolled his eyes at the remark and didn't respond. The way Caroline had her arm draped around Marcel's neck made him sick with jealousy.

"You know, Klaus," Camille continued, "She came a long way just to see you."

"She came here for school," Klaus replied somewhat bitterly.

"If you think she came just for school then you're not as smart as I know you are. She came for you, Klaus."

This time Klaus looked up to meet Camille's gaze.

"Then why would she show up with Marcel," Klaus asked, anger flashing in his eyes, "and only save me the last dance?"

"Do you want my honest, professional opinion?"

"Of course," Klaus replied sincerely.

"I think she wants you to see how you'll react," Camille explained, "So, if you ask me, you'd better make that last dance special."

"Oh," Klaus began, his smirk reappearing, "You can be certain of it."


End file.
